Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Illinois
accident slip and fall
i was told by the security director for a hilton hotel that they would not provide the witness information to a slip and fall on their property. my son has had 2 hospital visits one in which a pin was installed in his ankle and 5 days rehab. i would like the witness statement or contact info to see if the hilton was negligent at all. how can i get this information
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: accident slip and fall
You cannot without filing a suit.
You can file what is called a "complaint in discovery" where you file a lawsuit against Hilton in order to have subpoena power to order them to give you what you need. Or, you can sue them directly and then get the material you need and then see whether you want to continue with the lawsuit.
But, just asking them won't get you anywhere.
I hope this helps,
Taradji Law Offices
Re: accident slip and fall
Hilton is unlikely to provide you with the information. However, sometimes, if a lawyer is involved, they will provide the lawyer with witness information. There may also be other possible ways of obtaining witness information. Was there a need for an ambulance? The ambulance personnel are post occurrence witnesses and may have observed a condition that caused the fall. If a police officer arrived, not likely, but possible, there may be a report. Did spmepone call 911? Again, a possible record from 911 dispatch.
Addtionally, as the other attorney who answered you noted, you can file a suit in discovery or a regular lawsuit. If you do that, they will have to turn over the information.
Hope this helps. Feel free to contact me. I am licensed in Indiana and Illinois and have a good amount of experience with these kinds of cases.
Good luck, and I hope that your son makes a complete receovery.